Mazda recalls more than 280,000 cars in Japan

TOKYO (AP) _ Mazda Motor Corp. said Thursday it is recalling more
than 280,000 cars in Japan due to defects, the automaker's biggest
vehicle recall on record in Japan.

Mazda will recall 287,987 Demio and Verisa compact models,
produced between June 2002 and July 2006. The defects affect the
clutch systems and coil springs in suspensions, Mazda spokeswoman
Aya Takahashi said.

No injuries or damage have been reported, she said.

The automaker will make the repairs for free, but did not provide
the cost of the latest recalls.

Some 25,559 Demios _ known as the Mazda2 overseas _ were also
exported during that period, she said. These cars are not part of
the domestic recall, and Mazda will handle the defects of exported
models in line with local regulations, Takahashi said.

Of those exported, some 20,850 were shipped to Australia, 1,166
vehicles to New Zealand, 1,147 to Singapore and 262 units to Hong
Kong.

It is Mazda's largest recall in Japan since the Hiroshima-based
automaker began taking recall data in 1994, she said. The company's
previous record recall was for 162,405 vehicles in March 2004.

One of the problems is related to the coil springs, whose coating
can be removed easily because of the inappropriate installation of
the parts, Takahashi said. The coil may rust and may break
eventually in the worst case.

The other problem is that the material to cap the hydraulic oil
used in the clutch system could leak, causing the clutch to not work
appropriately.

Recalls have been increasing recently among Japanese automakers.
Once a defective products is found in a certain model, its affects
other models as same parts are often used for multiple models among
automakers.

In March, Honda Motor Co. announced recalls of more than 290,000
vehicles across 13 models to repair a manufacturing defect that
could stop the cars' engines.

Toyota has recalled about 54,000 passenger cars because of engine problems, Kyodo News agency reported Thursday.
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